Melatonin is an active substance, which is also produced by the body itself to varying degrees depending on the time of day. Colloquially Melatonin is also called sleep hormone. With sleep disturbances or disturbances of the day-night rhythm Melatonin can be given as medicine, in order to improve the sleep quality. Since melatonin is a substance produced naturally in the body, it is very well tolerated. In Germany it is a prescription drug, while in the USA, for example, melatonin is also regularly taken by airline personnel to combat jet lag.
Indications for melatonin input
The main prescription reason for melatonin in Germany is primary insomnia with poor sleep quality in patients over 55 years of age. Since the long-term effect of melatonin has hardly been researched, it is usually a short-term intake to restore a normal day-night rhythm. The intake should be stopped as soon as the sleep rhythm has returned to normal.
Unlike other sleeping pills, no addictive behavior is to be expected with melatonin. Other sleep disorders, especially secondary sleep disorders, are not treated with melatonin. In other countries, such as the USA, melatonin is a dietary supplement and is also used to restore the day-night rhythm of airline personnel or shift workers. However, this use is illegal in Germany. Another application, which is still in the trial phase, is the treatment of methamphetamine induced disorders.
Active ingredient and effect
Melatonin is an endogenous hormone, which is also called sleep hormone. Normally this is produced in the pineal gland in the brain from serotonin. The production is inhibited especially by light.
Melatonin can be supplemented for certain sleep disorders, especially when the day-night rhythm is disturbed. For this purpose, the drug must be taken one to two hours before sleep. The artificially produced melatonin can thus act independently of light and other disturbing factors.
Taking melatonin leads to drowsiness by reducing attention in certain areas of the brain and lowering body temperature. In non-retarded forms, melatonin preparations only work for 20 minutes. The preparation approved in Germany is a retard medication which gradually releases the active ingredient.
This has a half-life of about three hours. The active ingredient is broken down via the kidneys.
- Melatonin is one of the neurotransmitters and can therefore influence the communication between nerve cells. The production takes place predominantly at night and controls the day-night rhythm in a complex system between different brain areas.
- The receptors for melatonin are located in the temperature center in the brain, in blood vessels of the head and in the immune system.
